Chapter One: The Wedding

Rec Song - A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

She is wearing something like one of Kendall Jenner’s unpopular red carpet gowns but not see-through and scandalous that you can see everything beneath. It’s crisp, white, and elegant, bearing only her shoulders in a playful manner, flowing from her waist to the ground, almost like she doesn’t need to wear heels anymore. It looks the same but it feels different. She still rivals the beauty of one of the most popular models in the planet though. The white clothe she is wearing is just one of the representations of her unparalleled happiness that day.

Her wedding day, of course.

Joohyun looks at herself in the mirror. The people who have been helping her prepare for days and hours have now left the bride’s room as she has requested. Those people, the same people, who have been part of the life she has before and who she still hopes to be with her for the next part of their life are all waiting for her.

And the one she loves the most is just in the room across hers.

Staring at the mirror and seeing herself in the most beautiful wedding dress she could only ever dream for before, her hair set in a messy bun with white carnations, and the gorgeous bouquet of different white flowers, she can’t believe this day has finally come. The day that she is finally getting married.

Looking back, the preparations of this day has all been nothing compared to her preparations all her life for when she finally meets the one she wants to spend her whole life with as one. It’s a little funny but before, she could never think of herself as someone who will marry another person with a promise to spend lifetime together. She could not settle with the fact that she will exchange all she could do and accomplish by herself to compromising everything with another person, and in the future, with their little people, too. But now, look where she is.

Here she is now. She is in peace just sitting there in front of the mirror like that, looking at the bride that she is, waiting for the few minutes left before she is called. Before the new life that is waiting ahead for her, for them.

She can’t quite describe the constant turning of her stomach. (It is turning. A lot.) But if someone will ask her to describe how she is feeling right now, she’ll say she is at peace. It’s not happiness. It’s not excitement. She worries a little if that’s a problem but it’s not uneasiness and nervousness. If she is to completely describe how she feels right now, it just feels like she is going back to something she used to be. It feels like she is coming home.

Suddenly, Seulgi opens the door without knocking, not even considering about what Joohyun is doing already. Perhaps because she knows she can’t be getting dressed right now. It’s only a few minutes left now before the ceremony.

When her best friend turns to meet her eyes, she swears she is seeing the most beautiful bride she has ever seen in her life. Not even Kendall Jenner can compare to her right now and she hasn’t even worn the veil that matches her wedding gown yet.

Joohyun smiles at her brightly and happiness just beams from her, like the sun beaming radiance all over the planet. Her happiness reaches the other girl.

She can’t help but tear up, at the sight of Joohyun, looking so beautiful and happy, the way she deserves to be. She can’t help but think back of all the times they have gone through, the good and the bad, the joys and the sadness, the laughter and the tears. She can’t help but remember how long has it been and how fast time flies. They are here now.

Her best friend stands up and walks towards her, taking both her hands to hers and holding them. “You can’t cry,” she whispers.

“I know,” Seulgi cries, nonetheless.

She lets Joohyun hold her hands for a long time. They hold hands a lot. As best friends, there have been many circumstances in their lives when one just needs to be dragged or to be held. Sometimes, they hold hands unknowingly and people will stare. It used to bother Seulgi a lot, not because she cares what people think but because she cares a lot what Joohyun thinks. But Joohyun didn’t care. She still doesn’t care.

Joohyun lets her sniffle her cries, careful not to mess an hour of makeup.

She reminds herself to calm down. This isn’t even the ceremony yet. This isn’t even her making her maid of honor’s speech yet. This is just her and her best friend, holding each other’s hands, seconds before the wedding. Before things change, as much as they don’t want to admit that it will.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door calling for Joohyun. It’s time.

“Ready to meet your groom?” Seulgi asks, but she is hiccuping because she might have cried before this already. She quickly wipes the tears that are threatening to ruin the face of the maid of honor today and she can’t quite have that. Joohyun doesn’t deserve an ugly maid of honor with messed up makeup and she’s not giving her best friend that.

This is the only time Joohyun wants to cry and she doesn’t even know why. She bits her chapped, red lips to stop herself and convinces herself that she can’t cry. At least, not yet. She knows this is what she wanted.

The whole church is quiet as the entourage begins walking down the aisle while A Thousand Years play in the background. There are hiccups, sniffles, and small cries all over but they are all looking happy as they watch Joohyun follow after the entourage, looking perfect.

She looks around and is mesmerized by the place. It looks absolutely magical, and as if it is cropped from a winter fairytale even though they are in the midst of spring. Everything, except the guests who are in hues of mauve, purple, and violet and the groom, is in white like they are all part of her, like they all belong to her. The flowers from the ceiling, the church, the aisle, and the pews are combinations of white roses, white carnations, white lilies, and white orchids.

She sees the faces of the people who she loves the most and are the most important in their lives but above all, she looks ahead and sees the person she never thought she deserves, grinning from ear to ear as he patiently waits for his bride. She sees the person who taught her to love and to be loved back. She sees the person who made her feel like she is beautiful even when she knows she is not. She sees the person who not only saw the good things in her but also the bad and accepted them. She sees the person who promised her forever, before and again, starting now.

And when her feet reaches him and he reaches his hand out to her, when she sees the glisten of tears in his brown eyes, when she feels him shaking a little as he guides her in front of the priest, when she realizes that this is the man she prayed for, she closes her eyes and thanks the universe for giving her this person.

It is then that she feels the familiar peace in her heart. It is then that she surrenders to the hundreds of emotions that are filling her soul but above all, the love that she feels for this person. It is then that she tells herself that she is doing the right thing.

Bogum turns to look at her and gives her a small smile as she slightly leans down her head on his shoulder for a short moment, both of them gripping tightly on each other’s hand, before the ceremony formally starts.

The maid of honor watches from her seat and has tears on her own eyes.

She wonders how she will survive this day before, seeing her best friend get married and all, but when she witnesses how happy he makes her just by standing there, smiling, holding her hand, making her feel loved, she doesn’t wonder anymore.

She used to think how difficult it will be for her to watch her best friend get married. It’s like saying goodbye to a part of you that you don’t want to let go, that you may never be ready to let go. It’s like taking a step back from the place you’ve always been all your lives to give way to a certain someone, the person she chose, to take your place. She always thought how this will be difficult but she seems to be wrong.

Joohyun is smiling perfectly like she is where is supposed to be.

Seeing that, she knows Joohyun is happy. And that is all that matters.

She hears the priest say, “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Seulgi brings her hand to her chest and feels the thump, thump of her heart in a manner that is similar to when she is watching her favorite show on the television, or when she is hearing a nostalgic song, or when she is simply watching someone be happy and, inadvertently, feels happiness as well. She closes her eyes and smiles, dismissing all the negative emotions that are left in favor of the positive ones.

Her best friend is getting married today. That is one of the best things that could ever happen to her, as her best friend.

“Thank you for making me feel the love that any father would want their daughter to have,” Joohyun starts her vow, looking at nothing but the man in front of her, eyes glistening as she says every word she wants to say to him at their wedding. “Thank you for making me feel loved even when I don’t deserve to. Thank you for not giving up no matter how hard it is. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you. Just,” she pauses and smiles at him through the tears. “I don’t want to promise you anything, love. We don’t do promises, right? We do actions. We both swear on that. But I just want to say I’m looking forward to a lifetime with you. No matter what happens, I will stand beside you and there are no battles you will fight alone anymore because I will always be with you from now on.”

Bogum is already crying even before he begins his vow because of his bride’s vow. “I love you so much,” he speaks after taking a deep breath to calm himself. Somehow, saying he loves her calms him. “I love you so much,” he repeats. “That seems like a lame vow, love. But I don’t know what else to tell you except that I love you. My heart, my life, my all belongs to you now. You have me and all of me now. There’s nothing I will not do for you and your dreams. You know that.” He is practically bawling when he finishes with, “I will be here with you as you follow your dreams. I will never leave you. So don’t be afraid to follow your dreams and all the sacrifices I will bear.”

It’s spring but there is enough warmth surrounding the entire place for everyone.

--

A/N: Hey, guys. Is there a female idol who is like, super close to Seulgi aside from her girls at Red Velvet? Can you name few? I've been trying to find someone but only Mamamoo's Moonbyul comes up and they're like, I don't know, bros? Lmao. Is there anyone you can suggest so I can look it up?

Also, what do you think of this chapter?

Stay warm, guys. xo - Elle